Agricultural implement



Dec. 9, 1924. 1,518,774

A. l. CONRAD AGRI CULTURAL IMPLEMENT Filed Jan. 5, 1921 45 n i i of Fig. 1.

Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES ALBERT I. CONRAD, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT.

Application filed January 3, 1921.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT I. CONRAD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful lImprovements in Agricultural Implements, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rakes and like agricultural implements, utilized for cultivating purposes, and especially for the care of grassed areas, and in the removal of tenacious weed growths which flourish in certain sections of the country. 4 y

A'rake embodying the invention is of that general type disclosed in Letters Pat# ent Number 1,339,436, granted to me on the 11th day of May, 1920, and in an application filed by me in the United States Patent Office on the 11th day of October, 1920, and be'aring Serial Number 416,299.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide certain improvements in the structural features of the device pertaining more especially to the adjustability of the parts whereby the action of the'implement may be altered to meet dierent conditions of use, or to obtain different results by its use. A further object is to provide improvements in construction calculated to increase strength of the parts and to compensate for the wear,` thereby materially increasing the life and efficiency of the implement.

An implement embodying the improved features embodying the invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichv Fig. y1 is a view in front elevation ofthe head of the implement,

Fig. 2 is a bottom planview of the head.-

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

y Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on line 4 4 Fig. 5 is a view inv elevation, showing the manner in which the cutter bar is adjusted to compensate for the wear of the blades, and f Figs. 6 and 7 are views in end elevation, showing the manner in which the action of the rake is changed by adjusting .the reinforcing bar.

A preferred embodiment of the inven- Seral No. 434,694.

tion comprises in general a rake head or implement 1, secured to the end of a handle 2, the arrangement of the parts being similar to the ordinary type of garden rake. The manipulation of the rake is likewise similar to the ordinary type, the distinction residing in the` details or structure of the rake head and the results secured in drawing the same through the weed infected turf or lawn.

Generally speaking, the head or implement 1 consists of an assembly of series of vdetached units or parts which are joined together to form the complete structure. The essential units are perhaps the tines or blades 3 resembling a series of knife-blades, each having a sharpened portion 4 along its forward edge, extending from a point substantially midway between its ends to the lower extremity which terminates in a sharp point. The back edge of each blade is beveled as at 5, the beveled portion having substantially the same extent Vas the sharpened edge 4. rIhese blades are arranged in spaced relation and in uniform disposition throughout the length of the head in the following manner: y

A cylindric rod 6 extends throughout the length of the head, upon which are mounted a series of spacer blocks 7, the same being preferably of metal and of uniform rectangular shape, each block being provided with a transverse bore 7L through which the rod 6 extends.

The upper endsof the blades 3 are 'inserted between the spacer blocks and engage the rod by meansl of U-shaped slots 8, extending longitudinally from the upper edge of the blades. The ends of the rods are threaded and nuts 9-9 mounted'thereon, it being obvious that by tightening one or both of the nuts, the blocks and blades will be frictionallyheld together in the form of a rigid bar from which the sharpened blades project.

Extending longitudinally of the rake head and bearing against the front faces of the blocks 7 and forward edges of the blades 3, is a cutter bar or blade 1() provided with a sharpened lower edge, terminating just beyond or slightly overlapping the u er ends of the sharpened edges. At the back of the rake head and likewise extending the, length thereof, is a bar or plate 11 serving to strengthen the structure and to maintain the blocks and blades in uniform alignment. This barfdiffers from theicutterfbar `in that it 'has not a sharpened edgeand serves only as a reinforcing member of theral{e\ head. The cutter barflO- and .plate 11-are connected to the rake head, and with each other, by means of bolts 12+-12f'fpassingni lcomprising -dilverging larms y14e-141 bearing `flatwise at -theirendsI against the cutter bary 10, Iand. a ferrule 15in which-.the -endrof the handle 2 is inserted. The yoke-13 isconf nected -to theyra-kehead by means oflb'olt's 16.-16 extending through the :cutter bar 10, the adjacent spacer blocks 7 7 and thefplate 11 in the same manner as bolts 12;-12.Y

Referring now in detail to-tlie-cnt-terbar 10 and lplateor.reinforcing-'bar-11,I these members are secured asalreadysuggested, tothe assembled Vunits of ithe Hrake lhead byv means of the bolts-12 andl, extending;

transverse-ly through thepartsfthere being provided in the cutter -bartransverselyfelon gated slots 174-17 v'registering with the -'hole"s throughthe spacer blocks, and servingto se``r cure the bolts 12 and 16.* Similarly-,the plate 11 isfprovided with elongated' slots 184eX-1 tendingI transversely thereoffand positioned to register withthebolt holes as before.H

As clearly shown -in Figs; 3 #and 4,1 the cutter'fbar 10 isnormally positioned so-that its lcutt-i-ngedge extendsalngfthe line yofy the sharpened edges l, of the blades*-3,"the elongatedslots 17 being solocated as -to'lirnit the downward A`movement -of the cutter bar in its-normal "positionp but ywill permit-fthe? backward' 'adjustmentofJ said cutter bar for the purpose l`hereinafter -to beset -forth.- The Iplate-11 secured tofthe-fbackfoffthe head 1, Iis likewise adjustablel transversely by reason ofthe` slots 18,5` and normally occupies-the *position shown -in Figs.A 2 and 4,1 with its loweredgespacedawayfrom the beveledback edges \5 ofthe blades 3. Furthermore, there -areforme'don the inner `face oftheplat'e-11, a series ofparallel slots 19,

the spas-imgv ofv thesel slots corresponding to thel spacing of thebladesf These slots vary vin depth and gradually become-y shallower toward the upper edgeofk the plate, Aas is shown in Figs., 3 yand 4. These/:slots 19L19 engage the edges 'of tlie-:bladesland serve to strengthen and reinforce the' 'same in that greatergstiflness is afforded," thus eliminating aA certain degree'offfleXibility, andv the 1 attendant dangery of tlieir being snappedofl'v at their basesl It isnow manifest-,thatthecutter bar 10 and' .plate 11 I are' both" adjustable trans-y versel-y, thel yformer lbeingv adjustable '-.rearsiderable usey the points of the blades become= worn-1andfiduled, necessitating periodic sharpening or grinding aof the cutting blade',-and a grinding baclrf-of-thdsharpened edge in ordento ret-ainthe' effectifxfecutting, surface.' In other words,thefblade in timeI may'assumefthe shape shownin dotted?"lines,kv

Fig: 5.5 In -orderf toA compensate f" for* this wear, itfisldesirablef to=movethe cutterfbar v from time-toftime inf'a rearward direction; thfusmretaining thef'safrne lengthl of cuttifng, edge f- 4,1*- this adjustment bei-ng'.J readilylfac# complishedby loosening the bolts Y12 and i165" and shifting. the bar f bodily, movement" that *is permitted by reasonaof theeldngated slots 17. Vit-h thisbpossibility@ of E"adjust:

ment, these blade-s can be used aftfenrepea'ted"l grinding;J and i almost# indeinitely without renewal.-

Theadj ustabi-lity offfthe -j platea-11 is ac -l complished iin uite the'same fmanner, n all though fo'r a iferentll purpcsef As# fore stated, the norm al y p ositionfofL the plate issuehU-asshown in-Fi'gs.A S'and 4Q and'in this connection` 4it-isr to be 4pointed {out that the angular relation of the bladesAV tori the h'andleis'suchA that the head V"1, inpassing over the surface 'of the, ground; i1ri`cler-fno'1JA mal conditions :of manipulatie-ngislidesfaldng the I beveled'back'fedges'5 f' of the blades;VV` the points-of"1 the-L blades just-1 scrapinglfthe ground i without* penetrating-thel surface:- N'ow, referringto'Fig.k 6;" the plate 'as shown isshifted downwardly so kthat fit1 projects a short''distance beyond the upper'jends of said beveled ledges' *5u If 'thef-rake' head f'is moved forwardly along ther ground5 the plate will cause"` a slight v4tiltin'gf'cir-ward#of the'- f headY with the resultzthat Lthe points of the-blades .5 willt'dig--intoor penetrate-fthe surface, producing 'a cultivating"or-harrow action.V Clearly, the depth/fv off penetration may lbe varied by adjusting-the-Apositionifof an= adjustable plate t increases1 thief-usefulness of the rake, making-i131 equallyfavailable-ffor treatment@ of the vground preparatory-'toflsowing of seed, as well as an implementferireJ mov-al of fweeds'r andfundesi'red growthfrom lawns.

Having described-the invention; I claim as my invention:

In 'anf implement of the character described, the combinatien'I offf'a xhead coinpri'sing a-plurality -of-`cu1tting" blades ex tending transversely @of saidf *head and hiV-l ing sharpened front edges and blunt rear blades4 to vary the angle of the edges of edges, said blades being adapted to engage said blades with the ground level.

the ground, with their sharpened edges at In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe l0 a predetermined angle thereto, and a bar my naine this 27 th day of December, A. D., extending lengthwise of said head and en- 1920.

gaging the back edges thereof, and means for adjusting said bar longitudinally of said ALBERT I. CQNRAD. 

